Discovering the World of Have a Magical Day

Inspired by 19th and 20th century Victorian-era beach resorts built in eastern Florida, such as the Mount Washington Resort from New Hampshire and the Hotel del Coronado from California, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa offers luxurious vacation experiences for all ages. The resort opened on June 28, 1988, as Disney’s flagship resort and a deluxe resort (like the Polynesian and Contemporary resorts) and was named Grand Floridian Beach Resort until it was renamed to Grand Floridian Resort and Spa in late 1997. Originally, there was going to be an Asian-themed resort situated near the Magic Kingdom, but due to the 1973 oil crisis, these plans were permanently cancelled along with the potential Persian and Venetian resorts; those three resorts were part of Walt Disney’s initial ideas for the Walt Disney World Resort but never came to fruition.

However, Michael Eisner, who was CEO of the Walt Disney Company from 1984 to 2005, decided to add a Victorian themed resort that captured the spirit of Victorian luxuriousness and honored Walt Disney’s legacy in a creative manner. Designed by architects George J. Wimberly, George Whisenand, Jerry Allison, Greg Tong, Chuck Corwin, Mike Chun, and Jim Loft, the Grand Floridian was the first building project for the Disney Development Company (DDC) instead of Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI). The construction process took 22 months to complete, and it lasted from April 23, 1986, to June 26, 1988. A monorail station was also constructed; it referenced railroad designer Henry Flagler, who extended Florida’s rail lines. The same architects who created the Grand Floridian were also involved in the design and construction of its convention center and the Wedding Pavilion, which opened in 1992 and 1995, respectively.  

For 23 and a half years, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa was untouched, as well as having modest prices (for staying in a guest room per night) and a fresh, Victorian aesthetic in its guest rooms and suites after its 2007 renovation. Unfortunately, on December 8, 2011, Disney Vacation Club announced a DVC expansion to the resort with the construction of a six-story building known as the Villas at Grand Floridian Resort and Spa. 

This overly expensive hotel not only tarnished the legacy of the Grand Floridian, but also caused pollution issues, some beach erosion, and damaged a large portion of its landscaping (including blocking views of the Seven Seas Lagoon in the process). Not only that, but prices for Disney World’s most expensive resort skyrocketed shortly after the Villas at Grand Floridian’s opening on October 23, 2013. Then, throughout 2022 and 2023, all guest rooms and suites were changed to a Mary Poppins style that was unnecessary and did not evoke the Victorian elegance that the Grand Floridian was known for. In fact, the entire resort nowadays lacks the Victorian charm, themes and luxuriousness that made the Grand Floridian a classic Disney resort in the first place. Plus, the Mizner’s Lounge in the main building was taken apart and rethemed into the “Enchanted Lounge”, which does not make sense, has a lazy, basic title, and is another piece of the branding makeovers that go against Walt Disney’s ideals. 

Not to mention that the majestic, beautiful lobby was almost torn apart itself until they restored it to the way it was, but the lobby is still vulnerable to future renovations and would truly lose its colorful features the next time another remodeling project takes place. This explains why refurbishing a Disney hotel with IP recognition tarnishes its legacy in the worst way possible, along with dismantling its themes and spiking prices up to an extremely high level. Disney Vacation Club may seem like an extraordinary experience, but the reality is that it is not; it destroys any resort it touches and changes it for the worse. 

After all, the elegance of the Grand Floridian in its heyday is natural enough to make its pre-2012 history a wonderful experience. The legacy of Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa will always be fondly remembered, and even though the new Disney Vacation Club accommodations ruined it, the “lifespan” of this Victorian-inspired resort will never be shed from memory.